The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of marine or naval weapon comprising a first alignment axis which does not extend in zenith, a second alignment axis arranged essentially at right angles to the first alignment axis, a support rotatably mounted about the first alignment axis, and a firing weapon which is mounted upon the support for rotation about the second alignment axis.
When utilizing such naval weapons for fighting targets in the air and upon the water, i.e., on the horizon, different problems arise.
(a) The rolling and pitching or banking of the vessel renders aiming of the weapon more difficult. Therefore, special measures are required for eliminating the effects of such pitching and banking movements of the vessel upon the weapon.
(b) In the case of weapons whose one alignment axis protrudes into the zenith, during fighting of targets which are not located in the zenith, there must be employed large acceleration forces for repositioning the weapon.
Now with a heretofore known weapon of this type, as taught for instance in West German Patent Publication No. 329,461, there is provided an apparatus for eliminating the effect of the rolling and pitching movements of the vessel, wherein the weapon barrel is rotatably mounted in two horizontal axes disposed orthogonally with respect to one another and which are pivotable about a vertical axis.
With this known equipment the horizontal axis disposed at right angles to the trunnion bearing axis is located in the elevation plane of the weapon. Consequently, for each position of the weapon the elevation plane is rotatably and vertically adjustable about this axis in order to compensate for the pitching movement of the vessel. However, the alignment or aiming of the weapon, with this prior art weapon, is accomplished about the vertically disposed pivot axis which is exactly aligned in zenith.
This heretofore known arrangement is associated with the drawback that aiming is exceedingly rendered more difficult in zenith and in its surroundings. Tracking of a target moving through the zenith requires large changes in azimuth. As long as the weapon barrel is disposed approximately parallel to the perpendicular dispositioned azimuth axis, there is practically not possible any exact aiming. This is particularly disturbing in the case of naval weapons, since, along with the movements of the vessel there is also moved the vertical azimuth axis, and hence, there is additionally rendered more difficult as a result aiming at the region of the zenith.
The aforementioned large changes of the azimuth with large movements of the target at the region of the zenith additionally requires large acceleration forces, and therefore, large drive or power requirements in order to reposition the weapon.